LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 65: Time To Start Acting Behind The Scenes Again
Loki, who had told me that he had some juicy information, invited me to one of his safe-houses.
The safe-house was in a newly built apartment building not too far from the Stardrop Inn. The orderly room was filled with costumes and props that could be used for disguise. According to Loki, he had several safe-houses just like this one in the imperial capital.
「Here’s a little something to go with the wine. Do make yourself comfortable」
When I sat down in a chair in the living room, Loki brought me some cheese and two wine glasses. I uncorked the wine that Loki had given me as a gift and poured for both of us.
「It has a nice aroma. How much was it?」
「1 million. I was able to buy it at a comparatively low price because it was from a year when the quality of the grape harvest was poor, but that doesn’t mean that its taste is not as good as those from the year when the quality was the best. To put it bluntly, once it surpasses a certain level, there’s no way anyone can tell the difference, isn’t it?」
「You’re quite right」
I laughed and tilted the glass. The moment I was about to put it to my mouth and take a sip of the wine――
「Oh」
Loki, who was sitting across from me, suddenly widened his eyes and let out a strange voice.
「Boss, blood! You have a nosebleed!」
「Huh? ……Oh, you’re right」
When I put my hand to my mouth, red blood stained my fingers. There wasn’t a lot of it, but blood was flowing from my nose. While pinching my nose, I put my glass on the table. Dripping blood into a million Fil wine would be no laughing matter.
「Aah, aah, you look terrible…… Here, use this to wipe it off」
Loki grabbed a nearby towel and handed it to me. When I put pressure on my nose using the towel, its soft white fabric gradually turned red.
「Sorry. That helps」
「It’s fine. More importantly, are you okay? Why did your nose bleed all of a sudden?」
「It’s an after-effect of the battle against the Lord. Not just my brain, but my whole body is weakened because I had used my prediction ability continuously. That’s likely the reason for the nosebleed」
「……Did you get it checked out by a doctor?」
「Of course. According to the doctor, if I rest for a bit, I’ll be back to normal」
In fact, despite how it looked, I had recovered quite a bit already. Immediately after the battle, I had suffered from headaches and bleeding, and couldn’t be without strong medicine. Now that the need for the medicine was gone, my condition was such that I had to let it heal naturally. According to what the doctor had said, I was gradually getting a healthy body back. I had also started to resume my daily training little by little, but there had been no major problems so far.
「So, what's this information that I’ll absolutely love?」
When I pressed him with a towel still pressed to my face, Loki frowned openly.
「No, even if you tell me to speak, in that state……」
「The blood will stop shortly. Stop worrying about it and speak」
「Hmm……. Oh, that’s right! That thing might be effective!」
Loki suddenly clapped his hands, stood up, and took out a small silver case from a sideboard. Then, he opened its lid and held it out to me.
「……Cigarettes?」
Inside the case were cigarettes. When I frowned, Loki nodded.
「Yeah, they have the effect of staunching blood and suppressing pain」
「I’m aware that cigarettes have such effects. But I'm a Seeker, you know? We can’t smoke because cigarettes lower cardiopulmonary functions」
「These cigarettes are medicine made by an alchemist. They have a similar effect to ordinary cigarettes, but they don't produce toxins that are harmful to the body. Accordingly, there’s a lot less flavor and it’s a lot more expensive, but I think that it's perfect for the current you, boss」
「What about its addictiveness?」
「It’s what you would expect. But, boss, you have mental resistances, right?」
「……Hmm」
As Loki said, as a Talker, I have mental resistances. I’m not just strong against mental debuffs, the ability to control myself is also an effect of the resistances. Addictiveness on the level of cigarettes would practically be nothing to me.
「Then, just one」
I took a cigarette, held it in my mouth, and Loki lit it with a match. As the smell of red phosphorus hung over me, I inhaled the smoke of the cigarette deep into my lungs. Its aroma was faint, and a bit like vanilla. The white smoke I blew out into the air fluttered like a ghost.
I continue to smoke while tapping the ash into an ashtray on the table. By the time I had finished one cigarette, my nosebleed had stopped completely because my blood vessels had contracted. Also, I felt very clear-headed.
「For someone who is smoking for the first time, you look pretty good doing it」
「Why, thank you」
「I thought that I would get to see you choking on the smoke, boss」
「As if I would choke on smoke of this level when I’ve even had the experience of inhaling poisonous gas while I was working」
「Hahaha, I see. Seekers are formidable after all, aren’t they? So, do you like the cigarette?」
「It’s not bad, I suppose」
It’s certainly quite effective. It doesn’t seem like it would be a problem even if I use this regularly.
「I’m glad to hear that. I'll give you the whole case, so please use them. You can tell which store sells them by looking at the engraved stamp inside the case」
「Will you be alright if you give them to me? Don’t you have a chronic problem that will bother you unless you smoke them?」
「I don’t smoke them frequently. All I have to do is buy it when the time I need it comes」
「Hmm. In that case, I’ll accept them gratefully」
I held another cigarette in my mouth, struck a match with one hand, and lit it. Then, while puffing out the tobacco smoke, I moistened my throat with the wine that I didn’t get to drink earlier.
「Hmm, delicious. Even though it’s a fine wine, it isn’t pompous, but a wine with a good depth of flavor. The rich acidic taste that's similar to blackberries and the spicy aroma that doesn’t lose to the cigarette smoke are marvelous」
「……Is this really the first time that you’ve smoked? You’re giving off the presence of a Yakuza Boss, you know?」
「Fool. Didn’t I already say that it’s my first time?」
That said, giving off a presence isn’t bad. Because of the face that I had inherited from my mother, it’s easy to get my gender wrong. Thanks to the fact that I had been written about in newspapers often, I had been mistaken for a girl less frequently compared to before, but I had been concerned after all that I lacked the presence of a man. If these cigarettes could make up for that, then they aren’t without their worth.
「Don't say such silly things and tell me the information at once」
「……About that, should we do this another day after all?」
「Huhh? What are you saying after all this time?」
「Boss, you should rest up properly. Even if you overdo it despite not being at your best, you're not going to get satisfactory results」
「Don’t be absurd. The fact that the most important thing about information is its freshness is something that an information broker like you should know better than anyone, isn’t it? Don't say such half-hearted things」
「I do know that. That's why I came to see you. But you’re also being targeted by the King of Flies. You’ll get hunted down if you show any weaknesses, you know?」
The King of Flies, a fixer for the underbelly of society who could solve any problem so long as he was paid. He’s an elusive and mysterious person, and even Loki, the best information broker in the imperial capital, couldn’t get a bead on his location, much less his true identity.
He’s my adversary. He went so far as to kill his client, Andreas, just to thwart my plans. That was clearly something that's out of bounds to a fixer, so I’ve no doubt that his hostility towards me is personal.
「Do you think that I’m scared of the likes of a Scavenger?」
「You probably don’t fear anyone, boss. But that's exactly why I think it’s dangerous. In my line of work, I know that fear is the very thing that saves lives, you see?」
「Hmm, so you say」
I took a puff of the cigarette and sat back in my chair.
「As for the King of Flies, there’s no need to worry. He's my adversary, but he won't be coming for me right now. He has his own goal. He can’t focus his attention on me alone」
「The King of Flies’ goal? What’s that?」
「He probably wants destruction. Of this world, that is」
「Huh? Wh, what do you mean by that?」
「It means exactly what I said」
I’ve never exchanged words with the King of Flies. I don’t even know who he is. However, from the results of a specialist’s investigation into the bodies of the people that he had modified, it had been determined that, rather than the Skills of humans, his powers are extremely similar to the abilities of Beasts.
That being the case, is the King of Flies a Beast? Or is he someone who had obtained the powers of a Beast? I don't know that much yet, but in any case, there’s no doubt that he is an existence that bears a grudge against humanity. A person like that can’t focus his attention on me alone. Above all, if he had prioritized killing me, he would have come for me when I was at my weakest immediately after the battle against the Lord.
「At any rate, the King of Flies won’t be a problem right now」
「No, even if that’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that you aren’t in perfect condition, boss」
「I’m not in perfect condition, so we should postpone it. Do you really think that I can become one of the Regalia if I do that?」
「That is……」
At a loss for how to reply, Loki averted his eyes.
「Loki, can you imagine yourself ten years from now?」
「What's this, out of the blue……」
「Never mind that and just answer me」
「Wh, who knows? If I’m lucky, I’ll be doing well, I guess? Now that you’ve mentioned it, what about you, boss?」
「I can see it clearly in my head. Ten years from now, I’ll be at my peak, both physically and mentally. The clan will have grown bigger than it is now, and in both name and reality, I’ll be leading the strongest clan in the world」
「Hmph, that's so amazing. I'm no match for you, boss」
Loki gulped down the wine after saying that in a sulky tone. He probably thought that I was making light of him. But something like that wasn’t what I was trying to convey.
「Don't get me wrong. I’m not trying to psychologically assert my dominance. Certainly, I live while thinking about the future. But something like that is nothing more than a dream」
「A dream?」
「That’s right, it’s just a dream. For people, it doesn’t matter even if they’ve done everything within their power, there’s no way for them to obtain a definite future. The future is the same as the smoke fluttering here, it's a wispy thing that will vanish if you blow on it. For that reason, I’ll never do something like leaving things to tomorrow. The only thing that I believe in, is the me that’s here right now. Postpone it? If I do something like that, I’ll never forgive myself. Never, you hear?」
And then, I smiled as I continued.
「Besides, rather than hunting Beasts, it seems that I’m better at hunting people」
I have no idea what Loki’s information is, but it’s undoubtedly related to the Regalia. From here on out, what I’ll need to hunt aren’t Beasts, but Seekers just like me. The kind of battle that I was the best at awaits.
「……Boss, you're not right in the head after all」
Loki smiled as he said that, but his voice was trembling a little.
「Are you scared of me?」
「I’m scared…… Even if I can talk familiarly with you, you’re a monster after all」
「In that case, you should put an end to this topic before you get eaten by the monster, shouldn’t you?」
「……Got it. ――The information that I have for you is related to the 3rd Star of Regalia, Lorelei」
Just as I had expected, it was related to the Regalia. I leaned forward and urged him on.
「What kind of information is it?」
「The clan master of Lorelei, Johann Eisfeld intends to set up a railway company in this Empire」
「A railway company……you said?」
His reply was so unexpected that I almost dropped the cigarette.
The purpose of founding a railway company would be to open a railway inside the Empire. Railway technology itself already exists, so it’s by no means impossible. A locomotive powered by a magic engine made from Beast materials, sturdy and precise railway tracks, all of these things could be manufactured easily with the technological prowess of the current Empire.
The problem is that, compared to other countries, it's easier for Abysses to form inside the Empire. In other words, the chances of the tracks and Abysses——danger zones overlapping is high, which is the reason why railways haven’t been put into use inside the Empire. There are technologies that can control the location of where Abysses form, but railways require an extensive amount of land, so it might not be possible to move the location of the Abysses so easily.
I had heard that the railway had gone into operation four years ago in the neighboring country, the Republic of Rhodania, and it had brought about huge economical benefits. On the other hand, the Empire, which has a more advanced Magical Tools civilization compared to Rhodania, ironically still remains reliant on the power of horses. It would be much further into the future before the use of airships, which are the Empire’s newest transportation technology, becomes more widespread. Consequently, if a railway was really opened, it would further develop the Empire. The achievement of turning that into reality would be in a league beyond the reach of others.
「Is that information true?」
「Yeah, there’s no mistaking it. Johann has a partnership with Volcan Heavy Industries」
「Volcan Heavy Industries…… It’s a large corporation that’s one of the best in the imperial capital, isn’t it? But how are they going to solve the problem of the Abysses?」
「Anything more than that will depend on what I can uncover in my investigation, I suppose」
I grasped what Loki was trying to say, and I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
「I see, you’re good at business, aren’t you?」
He was saying: If you want to know the truth, pay up. However, I didn’t find it offensive. That’s because for anything that one wanted to obtain, there is what’s called a fair compensation.
Above all, Johann's plan must be stopped by any means necessary. That’s because the value of a clan is determined not just by its fighting strength, but also by its influence on society. If I let Johann steal a march on me like this, it’ll probably become impossible for me to stand at the top.
When we had exchanged words previously, I had realized quite clearly that he is an ambitious person. I don't mind his attitude of aiming for the top, but unfortunately for him, I’ve no intention of giving up without a fight.
In any case, in order for me to become one of the Regalia, I needed to have one of the existing clans crushed. And there's absolutely no reason why it can’t be Lorelei.
Lorelei――No, Johann Eisfeld. I'll have him disappear.
「Boss, you’ve got that evil look on your face again」
「It’s just a trick of the light. So how much will the investigation cost?」
「One billion Fil」
「One billion, you said? Hmm, the million Fil wine comes at a price, I see」
The usual cost for Loki’s services is about one million Fil at the cheapest, to 10 million Fil at most. Despite that, the price he proposed this time is a hundred times the highest price so far. But it doesn’t seem like he is trying to cheat me. In other words, he had probably determined that the investigation would be that difficult.
「Is it so difficult to investigate Johann?」
「It's difficult. Unlike fallen nobles and public officials, if the opponent is an active Seeker of the highest level, I’ll also need to resolve myself accordingly. Think of that price of one billion as the price of my life」
「I understand. I’ll pay the one billion Fil」
It's a substantial expense, but in order to defeat Johann, it's a necessary expense. The opponent is far superior to me. There's no way I can win if I’m stingy. He’s an enemy that I’ll have to risk everything and challenge.
I took out a check, wrote in the amount, and proffered it to Loki.
「I’ll pay you in advance. Make sure to definitely succeed」
「Yeah, I got it」
Loki nodded with a mysterious expression. But he made no move to take the check.
「What’s the matter? Is there some sort of problem?」
「……There’s a favor I want to ask of you, boss」
「What's the favor?」
When I tilted my head, Loki’s body shook uncomfortably.
「I know that I’ve no right to ask something like this of you, boss, but I've got no one else I can turn to, you see? ......If I make a mistake during the investigation and die, can I entrust my younger brother to you?」
「Younger brother? What are you talking about?」
「He’s my only family. He has no one other than me. At present, he’s living in a mansion in the suburbs together with servants. ……So, umm, if anything happens to me, please give that one billion to my younger brother. Also, it would be a great help to me if you could arrange it so that he can survive even if he’s alone. Boss, you’re good at that kind of thing, right?」
「I'm certainly good at it. But a younger brother, huh……」
I stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray.
The fact that Loki cherishes his younger brother is an unexpected aspect——no, it’s a weakness, isn’t it? If true, it’s probably a secret that he would rather not reveal to anyone.
「Did you submit to Albert previously because he knew about your brother?」
「……Yeah, it’s as you’ve guessed, boss. He threatened to kill my brother if I didn’t do as he said. I didn’t have the option of opposing him」
「Such a fool. ……You’re really a fool」
I’m all alone in the world right now, but I know very well the importance of family. Even so, he’s too naive. His brother is probably very precious to him.
「Boss, I owe you for that time. That's why I want to help you. I'm worried about my brother, but if you’ll be his guardian, I’ll be able to challenge the job without worry」
The gaze Loki fixed on me was incredibly earnest. He wasn’t lying. So I lit a third cigarette, blew out the smoke, and nodded.
「Alright. It’s a deal」
The “please take care of my relative of some sort in case I die” flag has got to be the biggest death flag in the history of all story-telling…… Every time I see it, I tell myself, “This time, the author is going to subvert expectations and the character won’t die” but I’ve been wrong every time so far…… Is Loki going to survive this arc? By the way, at the time I’m writing this, we’re only a mere 8 chapters behind the original, so I don’t know either. FYI, those 8 chapters were all released in a span of 2.5 weeks, I’m guessing that it was on purpose, to coincide with all the recent info releases about the designs and publication dates, so yeah, there was a time when I had almost caught up, but author has pulled away again……
I complain about the author not using gendered pronouns in Foreigner quite a bit, but same thing applies here for the King of Flies. At this point, I’m giving up and using “he” for now, since it’s really impossible to structure it without pronouns the entire time without it being really weird, and using “it” is also really weird to me.
Not important, but I found it neat that the “Boss, you’re not right in the head after all” line was an exact repeat of what Loki had said back in volume 1, just before Kouga came to kill Noel. It’s a nice call back.
The “even if they’ve done everything within their power” is a rearrangement of the first half of a saying that goes “Do your best(everything that you can), and let the heavens take care of the rest”, which is Kuroko’s Basketball’s Midorima Shintaro’s catchphrase. I rather like this saying as it can be taken in two completely different ways: “even if you’ve done everything within your power, it’ll depend on fate and you may still fail”, and “you’ve already done everything within your power to prepare for it, so don’t worry and go for it as the rest is in the hands of God”. Our MC uses the first interpretation, while Midorima uses the second, of course.
Noel is becoming a bad boy! Looks like King of Flies is going to be put on the back-burner and Johann is going to be Noel’s target. But unlike the small fry opponents that Noel had gotten the better of in the past, like small-time village chiefs or Yakuza bosses, this time he’s up against a big-shot and a smart big-shot that has shady rumors around him at that. Will things go well, I wonder? Well, he’ll need time to prepare, so a POV change next chapter. Stay tuned!